Draw-hook for harness or the like.



I v lPATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

H.- RUPPERT. DRAW HOOK FOR HARNESS OR THE LIKE.

APPLIIOATION FILED APR.11, 1904i WHNEJEEESY: I IN'QBNIUHI v I @u/o ov JI I I UNITED STATES Patented May 23, 1905.

HANS RUPPERT. OF FUERTH, GERMANY,

FRIEDRICH BERGDOLT, OF

ASSIGNOR TO LEONHARD MUNICH, GERMANY.

DRAW-HOOK FOR HARNESS OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 790,317, dated May 23,1905.

Application filed April 11 1904. Serial No- 83- To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, HANs RUrPEnT, locksmlth, whose residence isSimonstrasse 7 Fuerth, Bavaria, in the Empire of German have inventedcertain new and useful Im-.

scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in detachable unions for harnessand the like, and has for its object the provision of a union wherebythe separable members are at all times locked, the said members beingalso normally prevented from becoming disconnected. Draw hooks and eyesof this type have been so constructed that accidental disconnectionunder normal conditions could be revented; but such hooks have notheretoore been so constructed that separable members were held inoperative positions.

The object of my invention is to provide a detachable union wherebytheseparable parts or members are not only prevented from becomingaccidentally disconnected, but are maintained in operative alinement.Thus in my improved device the connective union can never be broken,because ofthe fact that 'the members have been swung out of an operatlvepos1t1on and are made to sustain their load in such non-operativeposition.

My invention will be more fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation one member of thedetachable union adapted for direct attachment with the whiffietree orsimilar parts. Fig. 2 is a sectional "view of the parts shown in Figul,also illustrating in connection therewith the companion member of theunion in the position in which it is placed when the parts are securedtogether. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the hook Fig. 4 is a plan viewposition. Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation, showing the parts in thesame position illustrated i n Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view of a modifiedform of hook. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the application of myimproved hook in connection with a harness.

Like parts are designated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe dififerent figures of the drawings.

My invention comprises generally a slotted member a, which, as shown, isadapted to be secured to the end of a 'whiffletree or the terminals orconnectible parts of a harness and which will hereinafter be referred toas the eye member. The other or companion of the union consists, asshown, of ahook-shaped bar of metal or like material.

In the application of my invention as shown in Fig. 7 the eye member ais secured to the end of a whiffletree, while the hook member is securedto one end of a rope tug.

It will be understood that the invention is capable of variousapplications to a harness and that I do not wish to be limited to thisparticular application.

As shown, the eye member a is formed of a single strip or length ofsheet metal which is bent upon itself in a manner to bring the ends intocontact throughout approximately three-fourths of their length; Theremaining or middle portion of the strip is spread in a manner to form aclosed loop adapted for direct attachment to the whiflietree. This is afeature of decided practical and commercial importance, since it doesaway with the necessity of providing a separate and distinct member forsecuring this portion of the union in place. The ends of the strip ofmetal of which the eye member of the union is formed are provided withelongated slots adapted when the said member is collapsed to bring theslots of the respective ends into register, thereby forming a singleelongated slot extending substantially throughout the length of the eyeend of the member. The

said slot throughout a greater portion of its length is uniform in sizeand width and at its inner end is provided with an enlarged andpreferably circular portion.

The hook member comprises generally a flat hook-shaped body a, the tailof which is provided with an attaching-eye, said hook bein substantiallye ual in thickness to the widtli of the slot (1. aid flat portion of thehook is sufficiently loose in the slot (1 to permit the member to beattached, but does not permit the hook c to rotate therein or to assumeother than a parallel or operative position. Thus it will be seen thatif the tug becomes slack and the hook is forced into a retractedposition, so that it engages the inner end I) of the slot, the flatportion of the hook will still be in engagement with the reduced portionof the slot d and will be held in a position of operative union. Thehook is provided with a cylindric portion it near its outer end, whichis preferably of sufiieient size to rotate freely in the reduced end at,thereby permitting the hook to be inserted and withdrawn from the eye.The outer end of said hook is provided with a knob or head f, which, asshown, is ovoid in form and ii adapted to fit snugly in the part b ofthe s ot.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that when the detachable membersof the union are being connected the hook is brought into a positiongenerally at right angles to the loop the head or knob fbeing insertedthrough the enlarged portion b of the slot in a manner to bring thecylindric portion h in a position of register with the reduced end (1.It will be noted that the flat portion of the hook could not be broughtinto register with the reduced end (1, as said hook is at this timeoccupying an angular position not a position of alinement with the slotin said eye member. When the hook is moved outwardly, so that the partit occu ies an extreme and opposite position in the s ot, the hook 0 maybe turned a sufiicient distance to bring the flat portion into aregistering position with said slot. The hook 0 will then be in aposition to be engaged with the eye, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and anyoscillating movement of the hook tending to disconnect the same from theeye will be prevented by reason of the fact that the diameter of theknobf exceeds the width of the slot d, and its oblong construction willprevent its withdrawal through the enlarged end I). It will thus be seenthat after the hook and eye are brought into a position of operativeunion it will not only be impossible to unlock them, (excepting as shownin Fig. 2,) but it will also be impossible to twist or turn them out ofoperative alinement.

It will be seen from the foregoing that my invention as herein showncomprises a draw- 'hook adapted to perform its function in an effectivemanner and, being composed of two parts, may be very cheaplyconstructed.

While I have herein shown and described a sin le embodiment of theinvention, I do not WISTI to be limited thereto, as it will be ob viousthat departures may be readily made therefrom without departing from thespirit of the invention. Therefore That I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A detachable union comprising a slot ted member, the slot having anenlarged and a reduced portion and being uniform in size throughout itsreduced portion, a hook provided with a flat body portion fittingnonrotatively in the reduced portion of said slot, said hook having onone end an ovoid knob or head capable of passing through the enlargedportion of said slot said head exceeding in diameter the reduced portionof said slot, said hook having an intermediate cylindric portion unitingsaid knob and flat body portion and reduced in size with respect to saidknob, said intermediate cylindric portion fitting snugly within thereduced portion of said slot and being ea )able of rotating and movingback and fort 1 therein, said intermediate portion permitting the flatbody portion of the hook to be swung into and out of alinement with saidslotted member.

2. A detachable union comprising a slotted member, the slot having anenlarged and a reduced portion, a hook provided with a flat body portionfitting non-rotatively in the reduced portion of said slot and having onone end a knob or head capable of passing through the enlarged portionof the slot, said hook having an intermediate portion uniting said knoband flat body portion, said. intermediate portion being reduced withrespect to said knob and ca )able of passing back and forth in thereduce portion of said slot, said intermediate portion permitting theflat body portion of said hook to be swung into and out of alinementwith the slotted member.

3. A detachable union comprising a member formed of a single piece ofsheet metal the ends thereof being bent together in a manner to form aloop portion at one end of said member, the said ends being slotted andunited together in a manner to bring the slots of each end in registerto form a single slot in. said member, said slot being enlarged at oneend and being uniformly reduced throughout the remainder of its length,a hook provided with a flat body portion fitting nonrotatively in thereduced portion of said slot, said flat portion of the hook maintainingthe same in parallel relation with said slot and having on its hookedend an ovoid knob or head capable of passing through the enlargedportion of said slot, said head exceeding in diameter the reducedportion of said slot, said hook having an intermediate cylindric portionuniting said knob and flat body portion of the hook and reduced in sizewith respect to said knob, said intermediate cylindric portion fittingsnugly within the reduced portion of said slot and being capable ofrotating and of moving back and forth therein, said intermediate portionpermitting the flat body portion of the hook to be swung into ITOmember.

and out of-parallel relation with said slotted Wait 4. A detachableunion comprising a member formed of a single piece of sheet metal theends thereof being bent together to form an open loop atone end of saidmember, the

said ends being slotted and united in a manher to bring the slots ofeach end in register to form a single slot having an enlarged andreduced portion, a hook provided With a fiat body portion fittingnon-rotatively in the reduced portion of said slot andhaving on one enda knob or head capable of passing through the enlarged portion of theslot, said hook having an intermediate portion uniting said knob andflat body ortion said inter- HANS RUPPERT. Witnesses ALEX WLLLE,

MAX ScHNEIDER.

